The present invention concerns a device for forming product batches in order to load them in receptacles, in particular for forming batches of food products, especially sausages, intended to be loaded in trays.
Devices for forming product batches are known, comprising a first conveyor with housings comprising two endless belts guided on return members with horizontal rotation axes, on a circulation path, and carrying a plurality of blades defining between them housings each able to be loaded with at least one product at a loading station in the circulation path, and be unloaded at a unloading station in the circulation path, and a second endless belt conveyor able to transport products one behind the other, and to bring one or more products in each housing in the conveyor with housings at the loading station. These devices also comprise unloading means able to simultaneously unload a batch of products from successive housings in the conveyor with housings at the unloading conveyor, in order to load them in a receptacle. In these devices, the second endless belt conveyor is disposed parallel to the conveyor with housings, and transfers the products through the open exterior side of the housings defined between the exterior transverse edges of the blades.
These devices are conventionally used for flat and/or robust products and/or ones having a certain rigidity, for example of the newspaper or journal type. These devices do however prove to be unsuitable for certain types of product. In addition, these devices do not allow a precise transverse positioning of the products in the housings.
The aim of the present invention is to propose a solution aimed at overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks.